Failed movie franchises part 2

Note: Based on the BBC TV series of the same name. They adapted the series into a movie in the 70's and did pretty well at the box office in the UK despite the mixed reviews. They plan to do more movies and the second movie was plan to be called "Dad's Army and the Secret U-Boat Base". Many years later, the sequels never happen.

Note : I like this version of Lord of the Rings and I feel like it's pretty underrated. I remember that the film was originally intended to be distributed as The Lord of the Rings Part One, but it seem like that the movie was not popular enough to start a franchise. At least we got a awesome Lord of the Rings movie 23 years later.

Note : Despite the cult flowing that the movie had, the movie didn't seem to make enough money to create sequels. I remember reading that the sequel was going to be set on Mars at one point. I enjoy Flash Gordon and I hope to see the character return to the big screen one day.

Note: In the early 80's, Paramount Pictures adapted the classic comic strip and cartoon character Popeye into the big screen. This was Robin Williams's (RIP) starring film debut. Unfortunately, the movie didn't seem to be a major hit as they hope for and no Popeye movies where made afterwards. Over 30 years later, it looks like Sony Pictures still plans on making their animated Popeye movie. Maybe they will have better luck this time.

Note : The first big budget movie based on The Lone Ranger and it end up being a huge failure. We haven't seen the Lone Ranger again in a big budget movie for another 32 years. It looks like the 2013 Lone Ranger movie is not having much luck neither.

Note : The film was made to cash in on the slasher movie boom at the time. However, the film never made a big hit at the box office despite being a cult classic. You can tell that it was plan for a sequel when the film ended with a cliffhanger.

Note: While the film was a popular hit when it was released, no sequel was made. The film even ends on a cliffhanger.

Note : Never saw it, but it looks like they were going to make more movies and the movie ended with a second movie coming soon. That never happen due to poor box office results.

Thanks for Leo for the suggestion

Note: The first movie based on a series of books of the Arkady Renko series. I never saw the movie or read the book, but it seem like no other movies of that franchise got made. The movie seem to do pretty well critically speaking, but I guess it didn't make enough money at the box office for the movie to earn sequels.

Note : Dune could have been a epic sci-fi movie franchise and it could have been the next Star Wars at the time. The movie end up getting mixed reviews from critics and it performed poorly at the box office which scrapped plans to make more Dune movies.

Note: I think I remember seeing the movie at Blockbuster, but I never saw it. Sheena was based on a comic-book character that have been around since the 1930's. Going from what I've read that they wanted to do a film franchised on Sheena until Sheena bombed at the box office. The movie was so bad that it was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture.

Note: In the mid 80's, they made a movie based on Sherlock Holmes and John Watson solving a mystery together as kids. The movie ended with a cliffhanger leading up to the a sequel and hoping for a new series of movies. The movie got decent reviews from critics, however it didn't make enough money at the box office to start a new Sherlock Holmes movie franchises.

Nearly 25 years later, they made a new Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey, Jr. which end up being a big hit and started a new Sherlock Holes movie franchise.

Note: Based on the popular Matthew Scudder detective stories of Lawrence Block. I know nothing about this movie, but it looks like it bombed so bad that no other movies based on the other stories in the Matthew Scudder series were made after 1986.

Thanks for Leo for the suggestion

Note: I never saw this movie, but it looks pretty bad. The movie was based on the character of Biggles from the series of novels and it looks like they try to start a franchise based on the novels. The film bombed at the box office and no sequel was made. It's a shame because this movie was Peter Cushing's final role before his death.

Note: Based on a popular trading card game from the 80's that was even popular enough to start a movie. It seem like the card game's popularity hope that the studio would create a franchise around the trading card game. I hear that the movie was terrible and it's consider to be one of the worst movies ever made. Thank god it flopped at the box office and no sequels where made.

Note: It been a long time since I saw this movie but I remember it being pretty bad. The movie was based on a popular cartoon show from the 80's and the movie seem like it was going to set up a franchise. The movie flopped at the US box office which made cannon films cancelled plans for sequels.

Note: The image speaks for its self. The movie was made to cash in on the popularity of E.T in the 80's. The movie was a big critical and box office failure, the planned sequel was shelved fast.

Thanks for Leo for the suggestion

Note: After Robert Englund was successful playingas Freddy Krueger, they had him play The Phantom of the Opera. With Robert Englund playing The Phantom of the Opera, the studio hope that they will turn The Phantom of the Opera into the next big horror franchise. A script to a sequel was made, but a sequel never happen due to the film doing poorly at the box office.

15 years later, the classic Phantom of the Opera story was adapted again with Gerard Butler. While that movie didn't get a sequel, it did get better reviews and it did better at the box office than the 1989 film did.

Note : 21 years before the big budget blockbuster Captain America movie was made, there was another Captain America movie in the early 90's. This movie sucked so bad that Marvel didn't released it in the US until two years later and no other Captain America movies where made for another two decades.

Note : The movie was a pretty big hit since it gross over 100 million worldwide, but a sequel was never made. It seem like the movie grosses didn't live up to Disney's expectations and the movie had some legal issues going on at the time.

Thanks for Leo for the suggestion

Note : I think I saw this movie once, but I don't remember. The movie was based on novel of the same name and the movie bombed at the box office which did not lead to adaptations of the other Jake Grafton novels.

Note: The movie is based on a series of detective novels and short stories written by Sara Paretsky. They plan start a film franchise with Kathleen Turner, but no sequels were ever produced after the movie bombed at the box office.

Thanks for Leo for the suggestion

Note: Released the same year as the Street Fighter movie, Hollywood made a movie based on the popular arcade game. The movie was terrible and it did bombed big time. The movie sucked so bad that it failed to start a franchise.

Note: I never saw this movie, the movie was a remake of a classic movie from the early 70's. It look like that this movie was planned to become a series of movies which never happen most likely due to the bad reviews and it was a box office failure. Almost 20 years later, no one try to remake The Getaway again.

Note: In the 1995 that they made a movie starring Denzel Washington based on Walter Mosley's novel of the same name. The movie was design to be a neo-noir mystery style film to 1940's noir films. Despite good movie reviews from critics, the movie was a box office failure. No sequels starring Denzel Washington was made.

Thanks for Leo for the suggestion

Note: After Jurassic Park was a major hit in 1993, they try to adapt another Michael Crichton's novel of the same name two years later in 1995. Unlike Jurassic Park, Congo was heavily panned by critics and did poorly at the box office. Congo fail to kick off a major movie franchise like Jurassic Park did.

Note: I have no idea why this movie was made since the comics had a very little story from what I can remember? Hollywood in the '90s seems to try to make as many movies based on comics as possible and hope that they can turn them into a franchise. The same happen with Tank Girl when the movie bombed at the box office big time. No sequels was made afterwards (Thank god for that).

Thanks for Leo for the suggestion

Note: During the mid 90's, it look like Hollywood try to turn Fist of the North into a live action movie. The movie felt like a water down version of the manga/ anime, and the whole movie end up being a big failure. It was so bad that they end up releasing it on TV instead in theaters like they originally plan. The movie had potential to start a movie franchise, but thank god that never happen.

Note: I remember seeing this one as a kid like 17 years ago and I don't think it was that bad. The film's poor reviews and box office prevent Sony to adapt the next three books into a franchise at the time.

Note: After The Mask was a hit, Hollywood try another movie based on a Dark Horse comic book. Not even Pamela Anderson could save this film from being a total train wreck. The movie was ultimately a commercial flop and it was critically panned. Any possible sequel never happen.

Thanks for Leo for the suggestion

Note: Richard Stanley (the original director) and the cast were sign to do a three picture deal. Frankenheimer was later hired as the director and made the film even worse. The film was a box office flop and no seques got made.

Note: In 1996, they adapted the classic superhero on the big screen. The film was a financial failure in its theatrical release. Rumors of a sequel happening because of strong home video sales were talked about, nothing came out of it.

Note: Based on a comic book character that has a cult flowing. They made a Vampirella movie back in the mid 90's. It looks like they plan to do more movies since the sequel was announced in the ending credits, but it look like that never happen. I guess the movie was so bad that no one wanted to see another Vampirella movie.

Note: Universal took a other barbarian hero from Robert E. Howard and try to make it into the next big movie franchise. The film didn't do well enough at the box-office to start a franchise. I never saw it, but I hear it was nothing special.

Note: Another movie from the 1990's based on a 1960's TV series. After the box office success of The Brady Bunch and The Addams Family, it seems like they wanted McHale's Navy to be a big hit. The movie end up getting bad reviews and was a huge box office failure. As of 2016, we never had another McHale's Navy movie since 1997.

Note: Due to the box office success of other live action cartoon movie adaptations in the 90's such as The Flintstones and George of the Jungle. Disney had hopes that Mr. Magoo would be a box office success. Disney took a classic cartoon character from the 60's and had Leslie Nielsen play as Mr. Magoo. You would think that a movie with Leslie Nielsen along with other popular actors such as Jennifer Garner, Malcolm McDowell and Ernie Hudson would make this movie into a big success right? The movie end up being a huge failure when the film received universally negative reviews and flop at the box office on its first week. The movie's major failure cause Disney scrap any plans for future sequels.

Nearly 18 years later and no one else try to adapt Mr. Magoo to the big screen again.

Note: In the late 90's, they adapted the classic TV show and movie character that has been around since the late 1920's. They had a lot of high hopes for this movie seeing that Val Kilmer drop out of Batman & Robin to work on this movie (thank god for him). Despite the movie doing well at the box office, no sequel was made. 17 years later, The Saint was not adapted into another big budget movie again.

Note : So who's idea was it to make Shaq into a superhero? I remember that they wanted Steel to be the next Superman, but the movie end up sucking so bad. The movie was a box office failure and they canceled to start a franchise based around Steel. Maybe next time that they can find a actual actor to play Steel for once!

Note: Before the famous Disney film, there was another Tarzan film made in the late 90's. I never saw it and it look pretty bad. The movie didn't do well enough to merit a franchise.

Note: A movie based on a classic sci-fi TV show from the 60's. I remember the movie ended with a cliffhanger that would lead up to a sequel. Pretty much everyone hated this movie which made New Line Cinema canceled sequels to be produced.

Note : I never saw it, I do remember seeing the TV ads for the movie when I was a kid. The movie was based on a classic TV series and the actors were contracted for a trilogy. The movie end up being a failure and no sequels were made.

Thanks for Leo for the suggestion

Note : I liked this movie and it's a guilty pleasure of mine. The movie was based on a comic book and it was a box office failure. Blade, The Mask, Men in Black, The Crow and Batman Returns where consider to be the only comic book movies from the 90's that were successful. The other comic book movies from the 90's end up being failures. The movie was a box office flop and no sequels got made after 1999.

Thanks for Leo for the suggestion

Note: I never knew about this movie until now. It seems like the movie is loosely based on the Arthur Conan Doyle short story "A Scandal in Bohemia" and they plan to turn this movie into a franchise. It looks like those plans never happen seeing that the movie was not very popular after it came out.

Thanks for Leo for the suggestion

Note: Based on the crime novel of the same name from Jeffery Deaver. They plan to adapt the other book series into a franchise from Jeffery Deaver if the movie becomes a big hit. Despite doing okay at the box office, the movie got awful reviews and bad word of mouth. 15 years later, no books in the franchise from Jeffery Deaver never got made.

Thanks for Leo for the suggestion

Note:It looks like after Disney saw the Rugrats movie gross $100 million at the box office that Disney try to turn another Nickelodeon character into a movie. While it's not based on Nick's version of Doug, but Disney felt like they could turn Doug into a blockbuster. Unlike Rugrats which got three movies, Doug never got a sequel.

Note : Based on a comic book from Dark Horse. I remember that they wanted to do a sequel to this movie since the movie did leave things off for another movie. I also remember they try to market this movie as a big budget blockbuster with a lot of merchandise at the time until the movie was a huge box office bomb.

Note: Based on a popular video game franchise that has many sequels and spin-offs. 20th Century Fox hoped that the movie will be the next major sci-fi movie franchise since Star Wars. The move flopped at the box office and no sequels was made.

Note: After the box office hit of George of the Jungle and the box office failure of Dudley Do-Right, Universal try to do another Jay Ward cartoon adaptation. They chose to adapt the most popular cartoon from Jay Ward Productions, Rocky & Bullwinkle. With a big advertising campaign and a large amount of popular actor cameos, Universal had high hopes on this movie being a big box office hit. The movie end up receiving poor reviews and was a financial failure. Any plans to do more Rocky & Bullwinkle movies where later canceled.

Rocky & Bullwinkle did not return on film until 14 years later in a short film as a special feature on the home video release of the Mr. Peabody and Sherman Movie.

Note: One year after the Pokemon movie, 20th Century Fox released a movie based on another popular anime series that feature interaction between humans and fictional monsters. Unlike the Pokemon movie which was a box office hit and had multiple movies released in theaters. The Digimon movie wasn't too successful at the box office and failed to spawn more then one film.

P.S I know more Digimon movies were made, but I don't think they where released here in the US.

Note: Another movie based on a popular video game franchise that hopes to start a major movie franchise. The movie was a huge box office failure which made Square Pictures go bankrupted. I thought the movie was crap and I'm glad that no sequels was made.